Mail-box.



BEST AVAILABLE COP 3N0. 759,437. PATENTABD MAY 10, 19,04.

0. B. HARWA'RD.

MAIL BOX.

APPLIGATIOK FILED MAY 2, 1903'.

N0 MODEL.

544 van/ KYO I (71201108 B. Harward awe Mau mounting for the boires of rural-delivery sys I UN TE STATES BESTAVAILABLE cor Patented May 10, 299

PATENT @FEIQE.

CHARLES} B. HARWARD, OF SHEPARD, oiiio.

. "NP-BOX! smmcmon forming'part of east Patent N5. 759,437, dated MayIO, 1904.

Application 515d a 2, iii 3. Serial No. 155,362. (No model.)

I To all whom it may concerns-,

Beit known that I, Qngiiznrs B. Hiimvhiin,

a citizen of the'UnitedfStat's, residing at" ldSt'ate and use-' ful Improvement in.Mail-Bo:ies,of which the,

Shepard, in theeounty of iEifanklinf of Ohio, have invented acertainnew following is a specification. -f'

This invention relates to mail-boxesland has .for its object to provide anjimprdired te'ms whereby said'boxesare arranged "to yield when struck by a vehicle, so asto avoid damage thereby, and also to return automatafter being released from'the'vehicle.

1V ith these and other objects'fliiiviewthe ically to their original and normalposit present invention consists. in the coinbination and arrangement of parts, as will ..be hercinaftermore fully described, shown in the-ac 2c companying drawings, and particularlypoi'nt-- ed out in the appended claim's, it being under-j stood that changes in -the form,- proportion,

sizeyand minor details maybe made within the scope of the' claims '-;without departing" I 5 from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention..

' lnthe drawings, Figure Lisa perspective view showing a mail-box supported in'accordance with the prescnt'invention. 'Fig'.{f2 is 2. 3 top plan view thereof, the box-'supportingar'm being broken and shown by' dotted lines in' different positions. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the box. Fig: 4 is acrosssoctional view thereof. f I I Y Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings. 1

- In carrying out the present invention a suitable support-is employed,- preferably a- 49 post 1, to which is connected a'substantially site sides of its normal position. Moreover, V

horizontal arm 2, mounted to swing at o'ppoit is designed to have the arm-automatically return to its normal position after being displaced, and therefore it is connected to the v 'zontally-swlnging arm connected to the post- 5 The mail-box is "u iorted or'carried at the ons outer end of the'arm and consists of a body 4, preferably cylindrical in shape and rigidly supported at opposite ends between twoup- I standing bracket-;arms,5',-;rising fronrthe swinging arm 2. f ln the top of this rigid box isf'a'n opening 6, through [which mail-number is designed to be inserted and removed, and

ing in the top of the box for the insertion and removal of matter.- I From the foregoing-description it will be understood that the arm 2 is adapted to stand atsubstantially right angles'to the post, and should-a vehicle accidentallystrike the box or arm the latter will yield and swing horizontally with the movement of the vehicle untilthe latter has cleared the box, and then the arm will automatically resume its normal s sition undertheinfluence of the spring-hinge. By having a double-acting hingethe arm is adapted to yield in either direction, and there- 'by obviate damage to the. mail-box should a vehicle strike it. i

" While of course anytype'of box could be mountd'upon the swmgingarm, it is preferred to employ the type of box shown in the drawings and set forth in the foregoing description, as with this type of box it is not.

likely that the lid or cover will fly open during the swingingmovements of the s21pportinga'rm.

Having thus described the inv'ei ion, what is claimed, and desired to be seen 23,- Letters Patent, is s. g

1. The, combination with a support, of an. arm hinged thereto to swing substantiallyhorizontally in opposite directions, a spring to automatically return the arm to its normal position after having been-displaced therefrom, and a mail-box carried by the arm.

2. The combination with a post, of a hori- 3. The combination with a support, a

horizontally-swinging arm, a double-acting BEST AVAILABLE COP I spring-hinge connecting the arm to the support, opposite bracket members rising from the arm, a substantially cylindrical box rigidly supported by and between the bracket members and provided in its top with an opening, a rotatable substantially cylindrical cover embracing the box and journaled between and upon the bracket members and provided in its bottom with an opening for alinement with the opening in the top of the box.

4. A support for rural-delivery mail-boxes, embodyinga substantially horizontal arm having a spring-actuated double-acting hinge at one end,a pair of box-supporting brackets rising from the opposite end portion of the arm, a box supported between the brackets,

and a rotatable cover mounted upon saidbrackets.

5. A rural-delivery mall-receiving device, comprising a support, an arm having one end hinged to the support to swing freely in a substantially horizontal plane in opposite directions from a normal position, a mail-box carried by the arm, and means for automatic ally returning the arm to its normal position 5 

